I grew up with parents from rural southeast Illinois and lower Wisconsin. They weren’t inclined to go outside their comfort zones. I’d never had mascarpone. So I got some Trader Joe’s mascarpone when I was there once. No flavor to speak of, just a greasy feel. So I bought some more when I was at Sprouts recently, same thing. Kinda like a cross between lard and whipping cream, only no flavor like you’d get with the cream.
Have I gotten the wrong brands? What’s it supposed to taste like? Any brands I should try?
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TBH I’ve only ever had it as part of tiramisu, where it seems mostly about its texture, since the coffee and booze flavors are so pronounced they overwhelm any flavor it may have… which is a long way of saying “I don’t know.” 
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I get the PC Splendido brand. It’s imported from Italy and is made with cream, milk, and lactic acid. The flavour is mildly sweet, milky and creamy. The texture is quite thick. Stay away from those products with artificial ingredients. In both flavour and texture, they are grossly inferior.
I don’t know if you can get that brand where you are, but it’s the best I’ve tried, so far.
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What purpose did you buy it for? It’s not really meant for eating out of hand.
It’s like a better, milder unsalted cream cheese or thicker, more stable heavy cream. Works great to mix into sauces, risottos, for desserts, and so on.
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PS: Thank you mucho for spelling it correctly, too 
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Mascarpone isn’t really a cheese to eat by itself but it has many uses in savory and sweet dishes
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As opposed to marscapone? It drives me batty when an alleged culinary pro pronounces it that way.
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You and me both!
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Well thanks, I actually knew that, but I can’t figure out why. It’s thick and greasy, but so are other things that have some flavor.
It’s not suppose to have flavor (at least not any real significant flavor profile).
Sort of like heavy whipping cream or tofu. Or gelatin.
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I can’t say I’ve ever really eaten mascarpone on its own. I don’t really see it as a cheese I’d spread or put on crackers by itself. I’m not a tiramisu fan so I don’t eat it in that form either. I do love it for this recipe and will buy it especially for it: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pasta-with-mushrooms-and-mascarpone
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Does the mascarpone function as a thickener in this recipe? I make a lot of mushroom pasta (w/out following any specific recipes), and heavy cream usually suffices to make a nice, creamy sauce.
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Yes- the recipe has a tiny bit of heavy cream too - but the mascarpone has a really nice creaminess and heft to it that makes the dish a little different than what it would be with just heavy cream, I think.
And while the flavor of mascarpone may be not much on its own, I find that it goes well with mushroom.
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Because there are often ingredients which have little flavor on its own but play an important role in carrying flavor and mouthfeel in dishes, e.g. heavy cream, tofu, gelatin, ricotta (I doubt you would expect to eat them on their own also)
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To me, those three each have flavor, but I get your point.
Thanks for this-
My preference is the mascarpone from Bel Gioioso. I find it has a creamy dairy flavor and would not describe it as greasy. Everyone’s tastes differ, though 
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